


The Shut-In Next Door [Hikikomori! Japan X Reader]

by uno2otaku



Series: Hetalia Fics [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Hetalia, Isolation, Letters, Other, POV Multiple, Reader-Insert, Shut-in, aph china - Freeform, aph japan - Freeform, hikikomori, mangaka, reader-chan - Freeform, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:08:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29616141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uno2otaku/pseuds/uno2otaku
Summary: It was an accident; A misunderstanding. You didn't mean to bother your neighbor. Yet they're clearly irritated. You want to patch things up, except you don't know how. How do you make amends with someone who won't talk to you, or won't even leave their own home?[Hikikomori are people who isolate themselves to extreme measures by choice. They're also known as "Japan's modern hermits." They rarely leave their home and rarely interact with people. I'm not an expert. I just want to sort of educate people on this topic through a fanfic. If I get anything wrong, or if it seems offensive, I apologize in advance.]
Series: Hetalia Fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2175747
Kudos: 2





	1. The Shut-In Next Door

You don't know what's easier: Carrying the boxes, or opening them? On one hand, you're working out by moving them. On the other, you need to organize all the box's contents. Moving is not fun. It's hard, and tiresome. But growing up demands it!

Your new apartment was empty and bare. Boxes upon boxes littered the floor. You remembered to write on them, which was a good thing. If you didn't, then unpacking them would be longer than needed. The boxes with kitchen supplies were set in the kitchen, and bathroom supplies were placed in the bathroom.

Just when you thought you brought up everything, you saw a new box by the main entrance.

"Hm?"

It wasn't a moving box. It was a box from a delivery company. You read the address and discovered that it should be delivered to the home across the hall. You picked it up and transported it to the address listed. Thankfully, this box was smaller than the ones you had. That made it easier to deliver. You wondered what was inside - it was quite light. Eventually, you arrived at the door of your new neighbor. The box was set down, and you knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

You knocked again.

No answer.

_Maybe they're not home? Or maybe they're asleep? It is kinda late, after all_. You thought. It's best not to bother people. It's even better not to bother people who live close by. You hoped that whoever lives there gets their package. You were worried that all of you stuff would get lost in the mail, or fall of the truck. Who's to say that they aren't worried either?

You stayed in the hallway a little longer. Going back inside of your home meant that you would be cleaning and organizing. A sigh came out of your mouth. You took a breath in, then exhaled. When you were done you opened the door and began your tasks.

The first box you opened had a Bluetooth speaker. It's charger was also stored with it. You found an outlet and plugged it in. After about twenty minutes, you decided to see if it was charged enough. It was. You connected your phone to the speaker and began to search through different playlists. There wasn't a particular song or artist you wanted, so you just let them shuffle.

Your door was closed. But you could have kept it open so you could have a place to put the empty containers; The hallway. You mostly cleaned and organized everything while dancing to the music.

When it was difficult to keep your eyes opened, you gave up for the night. The music was turned off, and your door was shut. You kicked a few boxes aside on your way to your room. There wasn't an actual bed in there. Just an air mattress. You know you needed to set up your bed, but that would be taken care of later in the week. You found it difficult to care about responsibilities at the moment. Sleep was all you wanted.

About ten hours passed when you woke up again. The clock on your phone showed that you slept into the afternoon. You groaned. There goes most of your day then.

"Time to get up..."

Both of your eyes hurt. They were trying to get used to the light. You rubbed them with your hands, hoping that will get you awake. It didn't help much.

"Yet I don't wanna get up though..."

You said that and then rolled off of the air mattress. The blanket you were using fell off with you. You were curled into a ball, your face was almost touching the floor. Your side started hurting you. It was probably because of the fact that you fell. _Stupid floor_. You thought.

You stayed this way until five minutes passed. The idea of all of the work you needed to do set in. It wasn't a fun idea, but it needed to be done. You thought about how you'll be able to relax and rest when everything would be over. That idea was fun.

With a sigh, you tore the blanket off of yourself. You tossed it onto the air mattress. It hit the object with a noise. You yawned again.

The first thing you needed to do was to wake up fully. You headed to the kitchen and took in all the emptiness. The only thing in your fridge was milk and water. There was a box of cereal in the cabinet. Looks like breakfast for today would be cereal, then. Cereal wasn't always the best meal. Warm eggs or hot pancakes are usually better. But cereal was fulfilling and you couldn't complain with that. Plus, it was all you had at the moment.

After you ate, you brushed your teeth. The smell of mint made you wake up a bit more. You wondered how people in the past survived without brushing their teeth. It sounded kind of gross, to be honest. Imagine people having bad breath and teeth every day. Ew.

You headed back to your room soon after that. You rummaged through different boxes to find a pair of clothes. In the end, you decided on a simple, single colored shirt and a pair of [Jeans or Leggings]. There was no need for anything else today.

You looked out your window and saw the weather. It didn't look like something you would want to go out in. For the first time all morning, you were grateful for the fact that you had no major plans today. Your window caught some raindrops on its surface. Some stayed put while others raced down the glass. You watched the droplets fall. Part of you wondered when it was going to clear up. Another part of you wanted it to stay. Either way, you just listened to the noise as you started to unpack more of your moving boxes.

Nearly thirty minutes went by before you noticed the boxes piling up. You did more work than yesterday. However, you still weren't done yet. There were still more boxes to open, and still more stuff to assign a spot to. But there was so much trash. You needed to throw it away before you sprain something. You grabbed some plastic and bubble wrap and tossed some of into a random box. Then that random box went into another one just like a matryoshka.

Soon enough, you had room to walk again. You moved the trash to the front door. You were going to put it in the hallway so you could throw it away later. As you began putting the cardboard, and other trash, in the hall, your eyes caught the sight of a note on the door.

"I can't be evicted just yet... I still need to know where the closest hotels and restaurants are..." You said with annoyance. What did you do to be kicked out in less than 72 hours?

The note wasn't typed. But the handwriting was so neat, you almost thought it was. It was not an eviction notice. It was a complaint. A complaint about _you_. Apparently, you angered or annoyed someone in this hallway, and this was their passive aggressive way of letting you know. You looked around the area. _Who did I mess with_? You wondered. You didn't do anything to anyone. The only person you technically had contact with was...

Oh.

You looked at the neighboring doorway across the hall. Did the person or people living there really get bothered by the fact that you _delivered_ their package to their _door_? People can get offended by anything these days... You were just trying to do a good deed.

But how did they know it was you? Did they announce that they didn't want anyone to touch their stuff, and they knew that you must have been a newcomer who didn't get the message? Did they see you with the package? Did they think you were _stealing_? Honestly, whatever the reason, you hoped that they knew that you meant no harm in any way.

You thought about what you could do to make it up to them. Would they like a straight up, face to face apology? Or would they like a gift of some sort? You thought about it, and figured that you would cross that bridge when you got yourself situated some more. For now, it was back to work for you.


	2. The Shut-In Next Door Part 2

It was dark out. However, Kiku woke up a little while ago. He went to bed when the sun had another hour before it needed to rise. Kiku's sleeping schedule was similar to that of a nocturnal animal. He stayed up throughout the night and slept all through the day.

When Kiku is awake, he spends his time watching TV or playing video games. More recently, though, he has been trying to become a mangaka; Someone who makes manga. Currently, that was what he was doing now.

" _Shikashi, koreha purotto o dono yō ni tsukaemasu ka_ (But how does this help the plot)?" He wondered out loud. "Was there any prot to begin with?" Kiku fiddled with the drawing pen, lost in thought.

Kiku often switched between both Japanese and English. Japanese was his first language, having been born in said country. He took English classes when he was in school and eventually became fluent. He's lived in [City] for a while now - about four years. Kiku liked the view of the area from his window. Of course, it's one of the only outside things he'll see.

It's not something he's proud of, but it is something he acknowledges. Kiku hasn't been outside in over nine months, and even quite possibly over a year. Nothing bad is happening outside. Kiku just... He just...

He's afraid to go out.

Kiku has something that is similar to social anxiety. Except it's just more severe. He's been nervous during social interactions and gatherings since he was a child. The fear never went away once he became an adult - it's only gotten worse.

Being cooped up indoors isn't new to him. Even before coming to [City] he kept himself locked away. It never lasted long since he would have to shop for groceries and work a job to pay bills. When his seclusion ended, he'd fall into an even worse state. Kiku would always try to pick himself back up, but he would always go back to following his old habits. He would tell himself that he can stop, that he can get over it. But it doesn't work like that. Instead of trying to "fix" himself, Kiku just learned to accept it.

This time, Kiku has managed to stay inside and secluded for a much longer period of time.

He preferred to have items delivered to his home over going out. He switched to doing work online than in person. He even declined multiple invites from both friends and family. Kiku shut himself off from the world. Kiku didn't mind though, he would like it to stay that way.

The only person he really had contact with was an old friend of his. Funnily enough, his friend was a therapist. Whenever the two chat online, Kiku would always find himself in the middle of a free session.

His friend's name is Yao. Yao and Kiku have known each other for years, and they are both extremely close to one another. When Kiku moved to [City], Yao went back to China. He can speak Chinese, Japanese, and English. Yao is very good at what he does and can help lots of different people. He wants to help Kiku, yet Kiku doesn't have the same idea...

Kiku's computer gave off a noise. It was a little sound that told the user that they have a new notification. Kiku put down his pen. It rolled off the table, yet he ignored it. _What does Yao want now_? He thought with both annoyance and curiosity. Kiku knew it was him because all of the other notifications he has make a different sound. He started up his computer and read whatever Yao sent.

_Hello, Kiku! It's been a while since we last spoke. I know how you are with socialization, so I will wait a few days for your reply. However, I think that it would be best if you_ _ try _ _to make connections with people that aren't me. I know, I know. You don't like that. But it doesn't have to be with a lot of people. Even speaking, or writing, with one new person would be beneficial. I'm positive that, with time, you can be on the road to a happier life. Think about it, OK? I am not only a professional, I am also your friend. I want what's best for you, Kiku. Please let me help. Yao Wang._

There was a Japanese version under the first one. Kiku figured it was because of how he often told Yao he wasn't "in the mood" to read something in either English or Japanese. Yao must have caught on...

Kiku looked at the part about interacting with someone new. He didn't know how to feel. He couldn't do that, even if he wanted to. The neighbors all have their own things going on. The delivery people know better than to come to his door. And Yao always reaches out to him once or twice a month. He was fine.

" _Sumimasen, Yao. Watashi no te wa musuba rete imasu_ (I'm sorry, Yao. My hands are tied)." Kiku laughed to himself, think he didn't have to listen to Yao. "There are no new people-"

A knock at the door made him stop mid sentence. Kiku froze. While he was awake, no one else should be up at this hour.

"I jinxed myself..." He whispered. "Maybe if I don't answer, they might go away?"

He heard another knock, fear going through his body.

_Doko ka ni itte_ (Go away)! _Doko ka ni itte_! Kiku yelled in his head. Kiku's head started to hurt. He felt fatigued; He felt tired and dizzy. Kiku went to his bed. He grabbed a weighted blanket that was laying there. He wrapped it around himself, almost using it as armor. It helped ease his nerves by a bit. Kiku slowly walked to his front door and looked through the peephole. He saw a girl standing there. There was a package by her feet; _His_ package.

She just stood there. Was she waiting for someone to answer? That seemed like the most logical reason. She sighed, and then walked across the hall. Kiku saw her enter the apartment. He heard the stranger lock their door, signaling that they won't be out anytime soon. He also sighed in relief. She was gone.

"I have a new neighbor? Why? I was fine with the other peoprle..." He pouted. "Prus, the other peoprle didn't touch my packages..."

Kiku waited some more before collecting what he ordered. The weighted blanket sat on his shoulders and covered his back. Kiku liked the weight, it had a calming feeling to it. He never liked physical affection normally, but this was nice, and he knew that he was fine.

When Kiku was about to head into the hall, he heard music coming from the girl's apartment. He got nervous and scared all over again. He stayed put for another minute. Once Kiku got enough confidence back, he opened his door slowly. Sitting on the ground was his package.

He picked it up and brought it inside. The contents were full of different snacks. Most of them were from his home country of Japan. Seeing them all gave him a bit of nostalgia and hunger.

_Kasugai... Puchao... Hi-Chew... And salt water taffy_... He said the names of the snacks in his head. He looked forward to eating them all soon.

Kiku thought about the person that brought up his package. While he wasn't upset about having it brought to his door, he was a little agitated that he didn't get to go downstairs; That was going to be his only form of physical exercise for the week. Not to mention the fact that he was disturbed and frightened. Shouldn't people be more considerate of others? And it's very late, what if he was woken up? Him being asleep would've been unlikely, but still!

Kiku remembered what Yao said earlier. He's always been comfortable with exchanging letters and notes. Sure, he could leave a complaint. That could count as something, right? And he could tell Yao that he _was_ trying to socialize. It's a win-win situation for him!

The Japanese man smiled to himself. He loved this idea he had. His package was placed at the edge of his bed, while his weighted blanket rested on the actual mattress. Kiku grabbed a piece of paper and began writing. Hopefully, the person across the hall will get the message. When he finished writing, he took a strip of tape and went into the hallway again. He could hear music being played. Not wanting to be a loiterer, he taped his note to the door and then left quickly.


	3. The Shut-In Next Door Part 3

It would take another day, or two, and then you would be done. You brought a hand to your forehead. You felt tired again. How come you were tired? You slept in longer than you were supposed to. Perhaps it probably doesn't even have to do with sleep, but with what you were doing. Organizing a new home, unpacking a mountain of boxes, building furniture... Your energy levels have been down recently because of that. If you weren't tired then something must be wrong.

You were looking out the window at the moment. It was still raining. The weather app on your phone said that it would continue to rain throughout the week. That sucked for you because you needed to go out—buying groceries and job hunting, and all that.

Not to mention you needed to get an apology gift for your new neighbor.

Only you would start a feud within 48 hours. How is that? You wanted to blame it on people for getting offended too easily. But you also knew that you needed to take responsibility for your actions. After all, you would want someone to clear things up if you were the one who was offended. Plus, taking action of the situation was the responsible, and mature thing to do.

You needed to be responsible and mature.

You went to grab your phone from your room. It was on the floor, the charger plugged into it. The single colored wire curled around the plug-in spot. You unattached it and headed to the kitchen. You opened the system's default browser and started typing.

"Stores... Near... Me..." You said as you typed along to the words.

A few locations popped up: A convenience store, a flower emporium, a supermarket, and a store that sold video games. You checked out their websites. They all seemed decent, for the most part.

Convenience stores can offer a quick snack or drink. They always seem to have jobs open as well. However you weren't so sure about working in one. You don't have anything against it, but the pay probably wouldn't be enough for you to live off on. As a part time job, yes. Full time, not so much...

Having a supermarket nearby was good. You could get groceries from there. You looked around your kitchen. It really did need something to help it come to life.

You thought about the other two stores. You could buy flowers and send them to a family member. Or you could buy them for yourself. Flowers made good decorations. Who wouldn't want a nice bouquet of flowers in their home? With the video game store, you didn't see yourself going into there often. You did not have a gaming system, so buying games seemed pointless. But you never know, maybe there will be a time when you'll shop there.

Your mind went back to your neighbor. What would they like? Part of you thought about sending flowers. However, you were worried about doing so. If you sent flowers they would be allergic to, it would restart the entire cycle. You did not want that. You also thought about sending chocolate. Of course, it might also be an allergen or something similar for them.

_When did buying people gifts become difficult_? You wondered. _Anything could spark a negative response. There has to be something that won't come off as an annoyance_... Suddenly, you remembered that stationery was an option—you could write a note!

They sent you one sometime between last night and this morning. That obviously means they are comfortable with communicating through writing. You planned to begin writing an apology note. The only problem was that you had no paper or any writing utensils. The only solution was that you needed to buy them.

You inhaled and exhaled; Taking in air and letting it out. The action was simple but it did wonders for your mind. You had begun to feel slightly calmer, and ready to start another task. You stared at your phone again and then looked out the window. Every fiber of your body wanted nothing to do with the weather. You did not want to go out at all. But you needed to. Not just for your neighbor, but for yourself. You still needed groceries and you still needed to find jobs.

You could find a job online, though, so maybe you don't have to go out for that. Surely someone would post an ad on the internet requesting for help. You could also order groceries online as well, however you didn't always like buying groceries via the internet.

Anything could happen to your food while it was being shipped. And you were always concerned with porch pirates—package thieves. Buying anything else online did not make you as nervous, mysteriously enough. You did not want to pay over and over again while still being food less and starving. That was the most logical answer you could come up with for that fear. Yeah, that seems like a good answer.

A minute or two passed before you proceeded to leave your home. You put on some shoes and did what you needed to do with your hair. Earlier you had discovered a rain coat in one of the boxes. Just as you were about to go and retrieve it, you heard loud noise. The noise echoed for a bit, and then faded away. You knew what that noise was: Thunder.

_Of course._ You said mentally. _Just as I decide to go out, I hear that noise. Wonderful_. You rolled your eyes. It doesn't matter if you hear thunder or not. You made a decision to go out, and you _are_ going to go out.

"Now where's that coat?" You said.

You walked into your room and found the box it was in. The raincoat was still folded. With both hands you picked it up and put it on. Now you were ready to leave. You grabbed your [Color] bag and locked your door. You headed outside to do your errands. How you will get back home untouched by the rain... You'll see how that goes.


	4. The Shut-In Next Door Part 4

Kiku was startled by the thunder. He wasn't expecting it. He didn't even know it was raining. In fact, if the world was ending, he wouldn't even know. Kiku wasn't even sure if he would care. All he knew was that he needed to get this one section done. He set a deadline for himself, and tomorrow was the deadline. His manga, or most of it, would be uploaded online tomorrow. It would be the first draft, and he hoped people would like it. But how would they like it if it wasn't finished?

When the thunder happened, he had dropped his stylus. The pen-like object sat by his feet. Kiku tried to reach it without getting out of his chair. His arm hurt as he did so. Yet he chose to ignore the pain. He succeeded, however he developed a headache after doing the task. That pain he couldn't ignore.

_Riyō jikan ga naga sugiru_ (Too much screen time)... He thought. Kiku decided to take a small break. He spun his chair around, so that it was facing his bed.

He got up and tried to walk to his kitchen. Walking to the kitchen and back again might ease his headache. He attempted to do so, except Kiku froze upon touching something on the floor. It was a candy wrapper from one of the candies he ordered the other day. The bedroom floor was covered in them. Kiku noticed that the area by his desk had the most trash. It was where he was located the most.

While being busy with his work, Kiku had forgotten to keep his room clean. Empty water bottles sat at the foot of his bed, whereas energy drinks and dirty laundry claimed the area by his door. His bed was a mess, too. The sheet was coming off on a corner. The blankets were tangled, making it difficult to determine where one ended and another began. Kiku also noticed two different pairs of socks on the mattress. He was wondering what happened to those...

Kiku knew that keeping a home clean was important. He was raised with that ideology. Yet now, he didn't care. He couldn't even make himself care. He used to be a clean freak—he used to clean everyday. But even the idea of making his bed bothered him.

He attempted to head to his kitchen once again. Kiku felt more candy wrappers on the floor beneath his feet, yet he chose to ignore them this time. When he got to the kitchen, he observed the growing amount of dust. His kitchen looked abandoned. And it practically was.

Kiku survived solely on instant ramen and delivered food. He had a small microwave in his room. Any water came from his sink or from any left over bottled water. Kiku knew that anyone who once knew him would be displeased by this, and would disapprove of his living situation.

Kiku used to be a great chef. There were lots of Japanese dishes that he could make. He remembers cooking for both himself and the friends he used to have. He feels horrible that he vanished from their lives. Although he left them, he would love to have them back again. But that's impossible. He could never face them again. Kiku is too embarrassed to. Besides, how would they act? It's best to leave things the way they are... Unbothered and alone...

The empty kitchen was abandoned yet again. Kiku's headache started to feel better, so he headed back to his room. It was back to work for him. With one hand, he had begun to rub his eyes. They were sore and strained. Kiku didn't care if they were, though. He had a job to do, and he was determined to finished it.

Making manga was laborious. It took a lot of effort and time to do. Especially for one person. Sometimes, mangakas—manga makers—would have a small team of workers to help them. One or more people built up a team that could help draw, fix, and review the manga. Having a team of people made the creating process much easier.

Kiku did not have that luxury, however.

He was only a newcomer to the industry and hasn't had any recognition yet. He didn't even upload his manga yet. While that was one of the reasons, Kiku's own personal issues are another. With him being a hikikomori and all, he unfortunately can't socialize with anyone. Once again, Kiku's fear and anxiety got the better of him.

The Japanese man didn't care though. He wanted to do this. He understood the hardships and struggles. He knew that manga was difficult to create. But he still wanted it. This was the first time in a long time that Kiku actually wanted to do something; That he wanted to do something that required actual effort.

During the time he was awake, Kiku mostly lazed away. He would play video games, read, or watch some type of show that he had no interest in... Kiku would also very rarely eat. He drank lots of water, thankfully. But remembering to eat, and to take care of himself in general, was getting rather difficult for him. On most days, Kiku didn't even want to open his eyes.

This project was Kiku's hyperfixation. His only hyperfixation. This is all Kiku wanted to do. Most of his time and energy are going into making manga. Kiku wasn't quite sure why, though. However, Yao offered his take on the topic.

Kiku had mentioned the project to Yao once or twice. It was only with hopes to shut him up. He really wasn't expecting such an excited response. Yao said that making manga was turning into a coping mechanism for Kiku. He sent a long email about it that Kiku skimmed through before forgetting about it.

Yao often tries give Kiku encouragement and help. However, Kiku never really accepts it. He also almost never responds. Yao once asked why Kiku never replies that much. As expected, he didn't get an answer. The few times he does message back, Yao feels sparks of joy. He doesn't quite know what Kiku thinks or feels, so any context of form of closure is nice.

But Yao knows that Kiku must care a little. After all, he does open the messages. And Yao is aware that the only one talking to Kiku is him. Yao just wishes for his friend to be happy. That's all he wants. However, he's afraid that Kiku will only come around to the idea when it's too late.

That's why he tries so hard to make sure Kiku is doing well.

He doesn't want him to have regrets.

Kiku finally went back to his manga some more. He was almost done with the story. Well, he was almost done with outlining the story. So far, Kiku had planned up to ninety chapters. There were plans for more chapters too, but he was mostly in the ninety chapter range, unsure if he should go any farther. In reality, Kiku was only up to the fortieth chapter; A little over halfway done. He wanted to get most of the manga done before releasing it to the world.

He was doing a good job too. Strangely enough, he had planned a schedule for when to release chapters. Kiku felt like a different person when he was working on his manga. He had to get into the mindset of his characters, seeing things from their perspective. It was simple enough, but it wasn't always easy. Kiku was often unsure if the portrayal of his characters were in a good light, and he sometimes struggled with speaking scenes.

Everything was trial and error. He thought scenes out and attempted to create those scenes over the course of a few days. Some scenes can take a little over two hours, while others required three month's time. Still, Kiku didn't mind. He enjoyed doing this. The only problems were minimal motivation and distractions.

Ugh, distractions.

Kiku usually had very few. Being in isolation meant that Kiku had a small amount of interaction with the outside world. Before, the biggest distraction he had was Yao's messages. He would send him another email every other week or so. Now, however, Kiku's biggest distraction was his new neighbor.

Although she didn't do much, she did try to interact with him. It happened only once, but it was one time too many. Kiku tried to stop her before she could have interacted with him anymore. He hopes that his neighbor got the message. She probably did because he hasn't heard from her since. Kiku didn't wish anything bad to happen her, though. He just wanted to be left alone. But he was hopeful that he would never have to speak to her, or hear from her, ever again.

Ha, he was so wrong.


End file.
